Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

A legendary Detroit judge will share stories from his life at a star-studded Fox Theatre event celebrating the launch of two new books.

“Detroit Legacies: In Black and White” will showcase people from different races and backgrounds working together, said best-selling author and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom.

Albom and U.S. 6th Circuit Appeals Judge Damon Keith are hosting the Nov. 11 event, at which Albom will launch his 12th book, “The First Phone Call from Heaven.” Keith’s biography, “Crusader for Justice,” also comes out in November. Albom wrote the forward for Keith’s book.

“We have really enjoyed working with one another and our friendship, and we had the idea to celebrate how people from different backgrounds get along in Detroit, as opposed to the story that they sometimes don’t,” Albom said.

During the night, Albom, Keith and others will take the stage to discuss their careers and unique experiences in the city. There may be a musical performance or two sprinkled in.

High-profile athletes and entertainers have been invited, with the lineup still being finalized. Comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum Tim Meadows, who grew up in Detroit, has signed on.

Keith, a member of the board of trustees of the Motown Museum, said he’s planning to reach out to legendary Motown artists.

“We’re going to have some superstars there,” Keith said. “It’s going to be a grand night at the Fox.”

Proceeds from the event will benefit S.A.Y. Detroit Charities, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights and Reading Works.

Keith, a native Detroiter, is known for staunchly enforcing constitutional and civil rights laws in several landmark rulings.

He has served on the 6th Circuit since 1977. Keith previously was chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. They cost $40 for general admission and $150 for inclusion in a VIP meet-and-greet reception. The ticket prices include signed commemorative copies of “The First Phone Call from Heaven.”